Petroleum is one of man's most significant sources of energy. A multitude of petro-chemical products have enriched or rather made possible the civilized life of mankind in the present century. Hence, the demand of petroleum can be expected to be on the rise in the foreseeable future.
The estimated amount of oil deposits in the world are limited and geographical distribution is highly uneven. As demonstrated in the oil crises of 1973, quantity supplied and price charged may be fixed at the whim of oil-producing regions. One of the first items on the agenda facing mankind is the development of new sources of energy. Indeed, any device to economize the consumption of oil is welcome.
In view of these circumstances, the present invention provides one such oil-saving means, the point of which is to add water to fuel oil. The idea has originated from widely-observed phenomena; for example, pulverized coal yields more heat as it burns when mixed with a small amount of water, and fuel is sprayed with water in order to produce more efficient combustion in the melting furnace of iron works and in a jet engine at the take-off of an aircraft.
Oil and water do not mix in the natural state because of differences in their interfacial tension and in specific gravity. Polymeric substances such as gum arabic, vegetable gelatine, polyalcohol and the like are known as emulsifying agents for oil and fats in general. However, they are found to be inadequate for mixing oil and water. An ultrasonic reactor has been successfully used to create an emulsion of 70 percent oil and 30 percent water. This emulsion has been found to produce more heat and at the same time reduce polluants to a greater extent (See Newsweek, June 14, 1974). But ultrasonic emulsification are rather costly to install and operate. Furthermore, the resulting emulsion leaves much to be desired, in terms of stability and permanence.